The conclusion on the impact of lipid-based nutrient supplements on child growth in Haiti may be too optimistic

terol and triglycerides (8). Similarly, we found that combining PRT with lean red meat was associated with a significantly greater reduction in the proinflammatory marker IL-6 relative to PRT alone; serum TNF-a also decreased in the lean red meat group after 4 mo. Thus, we believe that there is insufficient evidence from randomized controlled trials to definitively state that the consumption of lean red meat adversely affects health. Although Bernstein et al suggest that our positive results on lean muscle mass and strength were not surprising, there are no other studies that have shown this effect with such a modest increase in protein intake from 1.1 to 1.3 g/d. As detailed in our article, the findings from several previous interventions investigating the effects of PRT combined with a meat-containing diet on muscle have produced mixed results (9, 10), which is likely a result of the relatively short study durations ( 12 wk), nonrandomized nature of the trials, the small sample sizes, and the dietary protein intake achieved (;1.0 g kg d), which may be insufficient to augment the effects of PRT on muscle in older adults. Thus, on these grounds, we maintain that our findings are important because they provide the strongest evidence to date that consumption of modest servings of lean red meat at 2 meals within the day, when combined with PRT, is not only effective for augmenting the effects of PRT on lean mass and muscle strength in older adults but is safe, with no adverse effects on kidney function, blood pressure, or blood lipids.